🔗 Share this article

It's squash season and most anticipated time of the year, especially for all the spiced dishes and other hearty meals of fall. This Rajasthani stir-fry is a regular in my kitchen, and the blend of ginger, chilli and jaggery lends it a wonderful flavor harmony. The biryani, meanwhile, is packed with aromatic spices, basmati and ghee, which provide so much more flavour to the layers of rice and vegetables.

Squash and Mushroom Biryani

National curry week starts on October 6, so what better way to mark the occasion than with a flavorful, comforting, all-in-one-pot layered rice dish? If you like, prepare the spiced vegetable mixture element ahead of time and layer all components on the occasion you plan to eat.

Preparation 20 min
Cooking 2 hr
Yields 4

For the vegetable curry base
4 tbsp ghee, or use butter
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried bay leaves
4 cloves
450g white onions, thinly sliced
3 green bird's eye chillies, slit open lengthways
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 tbsp tomato puree
¼ tsp mild chilli powder, or kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp coriander powder
1 heaped tbsp greek yoghurt
300g butternut squash flesh, cubed
300g button mushrooms, cleaned and halved
400ml vegetable stock, or water
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander, for serving

Rice preparation
200g basmati rice
2 bay leaves
4 green cardamom pods
A pinch of salt

Biryani assembly
2 tbsp melted ghee
1 pinch saffron threads, steeped in warm water
1¼cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
1 tsp ground cardamom powder
1 tsp garam masala
Raita and salad, as accompaniments

Begin by preparing the gravy. Melt the ghee in a sizable, thick-bottomed pot on a moderate flame, add the cumin, bay and cloves, and fry for a few seconds. Add the sliced onion and sauté, stirring often, for about half an hour, until tender. When the onions start to brown, transfer half of them to a plate and reserve (for later use during the assembly).

Add the fresh chilies and ginger to the onions in pan, fry for a brief period, then stir in the tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander, and sauté for a short while. Turn down to a gentle flame, blend in the yoghurt and cook for two minutes.

Add the pumpkin pieces and mushroom halves, toss to cover in the spices, then cook for several minutes. Pour in the stock or water, and add salt to taste. Heat until boiling, then lower the heat, place lid and cook gently for about twenty minutes, mixing midway to ensure no sticking to the base of the pot. Sprinkle with coriander, then remove from the stove.

Heat the oven to moderately hot temperature. Wash the rice, then place it in a pot with a quart of water and the bay, cardamom pods and salt. Heat to boiling, simmer for 10-12 minutes, until partially cooked, then drain.

For assembling the layered dish, place a spoonful of warmed ghee in a casserole pot for which you have a secure cover. Ladle in one portion the spiced vegetables, then top that with half the cooked grains. Add half the saffron infusion, ginger, mint, cardamom powder and spice blend, then add the reserved fried onions. Layer with the remaining curry mixture, then arrange the leftover grains. Finish with the remaining clarified butter, saffron liquid, ginger, mint, ground cardamom and spice mix.

Cover with parchment, cover with the lid, then bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about fifteen minutes, so all the flavours soak into the grains. Remove of the oven, allow to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes, then remove the cover and present with raita and fresh salad.

Rajasthani Achari Kaddu (Pumpkin with Pickling Spices Stir-Fry)

The Hindi term "achari" describes flavouring a dish using preserving spices, and the mix contains mustard, fennel, fenugreek, cumin seeds, asafoetida and kalonji, but their use extends beyond in pickles. This mixture also features in all manner of spiced dishes and stir-fries, like this recipe.

Preparation 10 min
Cooking 30 min
Serves 4

1 tsp black mustard seeds
½ tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 pinch asafoetida
5cm piece fresh ginger, minced
750g squash flesh, or pumpkin, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
Salt, as needed
1 tbsp jaggery, or dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried mango powder

Place the mustard, fenugreek and fennel in a mortar, roughly grind, then reserve. Put the oil in a spacious skillet or Indian wok on a medium heat. Add the ground spices and the hing, and sauté, mixing, for a brief moment. Mix in the ginger, cook for a short while, then add the pumpkin pieces, chilli and turmeric, and fry, stirring, for five minutes more.

Add a small amount water to the pot, salt with seasoning to taste and heat until bubbling. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring once halfway. Mix in the palm sugar, breaking up chunks a bit, then add the mango powder, stir well and present hot with flatbreads or leavened bread.